At least two people died on Sunday after the collapse of 'Hostel Daze', a boys' hostel in Delhi's Satya Niketan area, while around 40-50 students remain trapped under the debris.
At least six people have also been pulled out of the debris so far, one of whom had earlier been brought dead to the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Center, while five others—including children—were brought alive.
While initial reports say that the cause of the tragedy was the ongoing repair work in the basement of the building, eyewitnesses offered more details about the paying guest (PG) accommodation, why it collapsed, and who had been inside at the time.
"We were sitting inside (my shop near the building) when we suddenly felt a tremor, like an earthquake. We immediately ran outside and were greeted by a horrifying scene ... The entire building had collapsed," a shopkeeper told ANI.
Another resident said that his nephew had narrowly escaped after crossing the building on his bike "a matter of seconds" before it collapsed with a loud crash.
Being a Sunday, and with rain outside, many students had reportedly stayed inside their rooms or had gone to their homes for the weekend when the disaster took place. With about 15 rooms and 2-3 students per room, about 30-40 people are said to have been affected by the collapse.
A few eyewitnesses also clarified in local media reports that the building was about 50 years old, allegedly built back when the Satya Niketan colony itself was established, and had no pillars either.
As a result, the building is said to have crumbled from the bottom after the basement allegedly got flooded amid the rains, trapping the workers well underneath the debris.
"I have been living here for the last 20 years. Some construction work was going on in the basement, where water had started accumulating. The foundation was also extremely weak," said Rajen Chetri, a local working with the Delhi Police, to PTI.
Locals also raised concerns over the condition and maintenance of buildings in the congested area, where several such buildings have been converted into PG accommodations.
"Buildings here are being constructed up to five-six floors. Many houses have been converted into boys' PGs, with the owners shifting elsewhere. They simply name the properties as PGs, take the rent online and leave the area without even checking back," the report added, citing Priyanka, a long-time resident of the area.
"The PG that collapsed is over 20 years old, and in all these years, I have not seen any maintenance work being carried out," she added.
BJP MLA Anil Sharma noted that some of the people inside were still trying to phone for help, adding that rescue teams are in constant touch with those who are trapped.
Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed clear the congested area to ensure that movement of ambulances and other rescue vehicles remain unobstructed.
